Chương 166: Chapter 419: Following a Cold Trail

What had been an open-air market in a poorer part of the city was now a beautiful winter carnival, the tattered awnings, and fish stalls covered in a shining layer of ice and frost. The beauty was marred by the dozens of people huddled under blankets and cloaks in the streets leading to it, suffering from chills and frostbite. A few healers moved from person to person, doing what they could. Caldrius looked at the first person he encountered, an older woman with an arm fully encased by ice to her shoulder.

The healer examining her stood with a grim look on his face and moved to a girl sitting nearby, holding her hand and casting a spell.

"Just go away. The healer says there's nothing to do. If it melts fast enough he can heal me. But if anyone touches it, he's afraid my arm will fall off. How am I supposed to care for my family with one arm?"

"Easy, good woman. I will be careful. The healer's words are wise, but I'm not just anyone." The old Fire Mage put a hand on the ice, transferred some of his heat, and in a few seconds it melted away.

"Don't move, the arm is stiff, I need to warm you." As he worked on her arm, he turned to the Butcher.

"Warming a body isn't like pushing heat into a furnace of someone from Smoke or Fyre. It's a very delicate task. Have you done this before?"

"Can't say that I have, but I understand a little about treating frostbite. I can at least get the ice off of people and wrap a little warm smoke around them." Caldrius nodded, "Ah, Smoke manipulation. Yes, that would work. Better control than heated air, and a visible effect to calm the nerves, like a warm, grey blanket. Do that, and I will follow behind you." Ozzy began at one end of the street and moved along it, melting ice from frozen limbs and faces.

Where it would help, he breathed out thick layers of smoke only a little hotter than the air around him, and wrapped the afflicted parts in several layers. Chainey was humming on his arm, making thin chains of Smoke that Ozzy could use to tie the blankets of smoke in place. The three exhausted people with healing abilities worked with him, showing him and Caldrius to the worst patients first, and then adding their own spells, trying to save as many limbs and frozen fingers as they could.

This was far more delicate work than Ozzy was used to doing. People were hurt. His anger was building toward whoever had done this, but he did his best to shunt it aside and deal with it later. At some point, he stood up and realized there was no one left who needed his help. He was surprised to find Duchess Claudia was behind him, watching. He bent his head out of respect and she surprised him by handing him a large flask.

"Drink this down, you've got to be low after that." He poured the potent mana potion down his throat, feeling it bring back over a thousand points.

"Thanks, I did burn a bit, and I suspect that I might need it soon."

"Oh, you will, assuming I can conscript your aid in dealing with the people who did this? With compensation, of course." Ozzy shook his head slowly, looking to where a healer was casting a spell on a small child, trying to save the toes on her feet.

"None needed. I'd pay you to hit the people responsible for doing this. These poor folk didn't deserve this, they aren't part of whatever is going on. And what the hell is going on? How do we go from smuggling to terrorism?" Caldrius joined them, the Duchess greeting him and he bowing low. She pointed to the center of the courtyard where the ice was thick, and two city guardsmen stood frozen in death.

"The City Guard has sources of information. Someone passed a tip that there were illegal magical substances up for sale today in the Old Market. It's a haven for pawnshops, low-end goods vendors, things looted from dungeons by Players, and odd curiosities. It also makes a good cover for anyone selling stolen goods. The Guard makes a few arrests now and then, and the Thieve's Guild keeps a lid on the worst offenders."

"But this?! This is unheard of. Someone unleashed something big here. The few witnesses who noticed anything said that two people, a man and a woman, entered the market and went to Bennie the Jeweler's stall. Bennie buys a little bit of stolen stuff but mostly makes his money melting down crap from dungeons and turning it into new rings with cheap stones. He wouldn't know what to do with a powerful magical item if it came from a Genie.

People remember a small white chest being set on Bennie's table, then the guard walked up, and everything exploded. A few people saw a man and a woman walk out of the storm and walk rapidly away from the carnage, totally unharmed." Caldius was looking down the street.

"I can see their trail, two very strong lines of Ice Mana followed them. I've seen similar around the city, but they fade quickly with so many people around. These seem very fresh and quite strong. Is that how you trailed them to their lair?" The Duchess nodded, "We got lucky, and an apprentice Fire Mage saw the trail and started tracking them with a member of the Guard. We know where they went." Ozzy could see the lines as well, it reminded him of what he'd seen in the tunnel underneath his building.

Much stronger though, and very well defined. People who walked over the lines felt a chill, and the lines weren't fading. He was about to say something when two squads of soldiers showed up. The Duchess started jogging.

"Let's get moving. With troops here, we can hit them hard and fast. I don't want to give them time to fortify, or prepare for us." The Duchess took command of a mixed group of the City Guard and a few Red Banner Mercenaries that he suspected were some of her permanent bodyguards. Ozzy let them pass, helped Caldrius onto the wagon again, and jogged after the infantry. The route twisted through the main streets, then turned down a long and narrow lane that led to a small culdesac.

A three-story stone building was the terminus of the trail. The bottom story was home to a tailor and a dye merchant. Between the two shops was a large door that would lead to the back of the building or stairs to the upper floors. Ozzy could see that the building was much colder than those around it. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

"You said you'd seen trails like this before? Like these people might have been moving through the city? Were they ever like this? So obvious?" Caldrius pondered a moment.

"No, nothing like this. It seems sloppy of them, but they might have been panicked."

"So panicked that they left a trail straight back to their hidey-hole? I don't like it."

"Neither do I, and I believe it would be negligent to not tell the Duchess our misgivings before she courageously charges into the lion's den. A moment, I save this tonic for special occasions. It's a restorative and painkiller made by goblin tribes in the far south. I'll feel it tomorrow, but for today it will take away the pain in my knees and put some vigor in my step." Ozzy watched as he pulled out a flask that smelled like alcohol but was filled with green fizzy liquid.

"Essence of swamp troll liver. Safe in small doses, terrible if you drink too much. You never get rid of the warts." After drinking it, he hopped lightly down from the wagon and the two of them pushed past the group of soldiers to the front. The Duchess looked from Ozzy to Caldrius.

"You two look determined to join the front rank. I don't think that's a good idea. My men are trained to follow me through that door and spread out quickly. If we hit hard magical resistance we can call you in for fire support." Ozzy looked at the building a hundred feet away. It wouldn't take long for the Duchess and her men to cover the ground and hit the door. They would also be totally exposed during those half-minutes of time.

"I think that's a bad plan and exactly what they want you to do." She raised an eyebrow, "Really? This isn't my first time knocking down a door. People rarely thank me later." The Butcher gestured at the courtyard and the narrow street.

"Only one way in, no cover. I can't think of a better spot to ambush a Duchess. That trail is too obvious. Maybe not to a low-ranking Fire Mage, but to me and Master Caldrius, it's a shining path left to draw someone to that lair. They baited the trap with the attack on the market when you were in this part of the city and created enough chaos to make it an emergency. No offense ma'am, but your reputation told them you'd do exactly what you are doing: Hit them hard and fast as soon as you could.

But I think they're ready for you." She glared at the Butcher, wanting him to be wrong, then looked at Caldrius.

"And you?"

"I agree. It bothered me that Mages capable of unleashing a Frozen Tempest to cover their tracks would also be this clumsy. They aren't after money or some random destruction. The prize is killing or capturing you, and crippling your husband's response against them. Your soldiers are brave, I don't deny that, but this is a trap constructed by several dangerous wizards who don't care about collateral damage."

"Shit. I don't like it. I can't send my men into something I'm not willing to do." Caldrius laughed.

"Of course not! I suggest you send me instead. My magic can counter whatever is waiting for use. This large man can back me up. He won't be affected by my Heat Shield and if the worst happens he can drag my body out of there and you can lead a glorious charge to avenge me." Ozzy blinked in surprise, then stared at the old man.

"You want to lead the way? Not me? No disrespect but I'm a little tougher." Caldrius patted him on the arm.

"It reflects well on you that you volunteer yourself to go into danger, but in this case, we can't look at who has the largest muscles or, in the Duchess's case, a fine set of enchanted plate armor. This is about survival, and even if I seem to be an old mage, I am still in the Sixth Tier, and that gives me a level of survivability that neither of you can match. Levels matter here, and the health they grant.

I may not be a warrior like these assembled soldiers, but I haven't neglected to pick up a few points of STR and CON. Less than a warrior would have, but the higher amount I get from my current Tier more than makes up for that. I am a Tier Six Fire Mage and my 29 Levels, Rugged Constitution, and Extra-Health6 Enhancements give me over ten thousand health points." All of the soldiers became quiet as the old man reminded them of how the world worked.

The Duchess sighed, accepting the fact that risking her life was out of the question. The Butcher seemed amused. He pulled out a cigar that Chainey lit for him. After a few puffs on it, he said, "Ten Thousand Health? I won't lie, I'm quite impressed. Hiking around lava fields must be good for your constitution. You're tough even by Sedgewick standards. But that doesn't win you the honor of leading the charge. I'll be happy to have you following behind in second place." The old man glared at him.

"Second place? What are insinuating you over-sized apprentice?"

"No insinuations, just facts. I've got over 12, 000 Health. Closer to 13, 000 with the snacks we've been eating. I'm also a larger target. And if I die, I'll walk back from Hades' Realm quicker than you. Better that they focus on me so you can send a little Heat and Fire their way." Caldrius sighed, "Logical and sound reasoning, even if it does leave me with some maddening questions about your background. Make sure you survive so I can continue this discussion with you. I cede the front position to you, grudgingly.

But you mentioned snacks? Do you happen to have any more of that bacon? I think I can safely eat another two slices to fortify myself."

"Sure do. And have a piece of the Ham of the Apocalypse as well. They go well together. Then we can see what sort of trap they set for us."